Former Everton striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni says that Everton are a big club and expect their strikers to score goals, which puts pressure on the likes of Cenk Tosun.
Yakubu was Everton’s record signing when he arrived from Middlesbrough and repaid David Moyes’ cash expenditure with 21 goals in his first season, prompting the chant “Feed the Yak and he will score.”
The following season he suffered ligament damage which could have almost ended his career, but after 11 months out he returned to the first team, but rarely his form.
He moved to Blackburn in 2011 and says he knows all about the pressure put on strikers and how much it means to play at a big club like Everton.
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Now, Everton have the likes of Cenk Tosun, Oumar Niasse, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin as recognised strikers at the club, although Brazilian forward Richarlison, who joined from Watford for big money in the summer, has been leading the line of late.
“Everton are a big club, so if they spend a lot of money on a striker, they expect goals – that is the job of the player,” Yak said.
“There is pressure to score, and sometimes you can go three or four games with no goals, but you have to keep doing what you’re doing, believing you will score.
“Scoring in the Premier League is difficult because it’s one of the best leagues in the world, so you need to be patient.
“Richarlison is doing really well. He has been the one scoring goals, so he deserves the credit. It’s not easy coming from Watford to Everton, a really big club.
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“You need to have patience because sometimes it can take a player one or two months to settle, but others it can take six months or even a year.
“Richarlison is doing really well straight away and that is good for him and the fans.”